Reviews tagging 'Suicide attempt'

What My Bones Know: A Memoir of Healing from Complex Trauma by Stephanie Foo

65 reviews

tiffsbookjourney's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad fast-paced

5.0

This book was amazing! I love the normalization of the nuances of healing: what therapy and the process looks like. Stephanie discusses her trauma experience and her journey through multiple styles of therapy and self-care processes and mindfulness. This memoir is an amazing journey that truly explains that some forms of therapy may not work for everyone and that not just any therapists are the right fit, sometimes you have to go through a few to get the right one to help you where you're at.
But above all, there were so many insightful messages about what trauma is, what healing looks like, how it can affect a person and what it can do for a human. This memoir is also unique, due to its recent release, early this year, it also touches on her experiences during the pandemic!!
I definitely recommend this book to anyone who may be curious! I loved it. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Grief, Suicide attempt, Gaslighting, and Abandonment

caseythereader's review

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

5.0

Thanks to Random House for the free copy of this book.

 - WHAT MY BONES KNOW is a masterpiece of a memoir. Blending Foo's personal story with the research she did to learn more about her own condition, the book sheds light on the little known and understood diagnosis of C-PTSD.
- Given that C-PTSD happens when there is extended, repeated trauma, this book also gets into generational trauma and the history of Foo's family and their traumas, which I think a lot of people will relate to, even if you're not of the Asian diaspora.
- I feel like I don't even know what to say about this book. It's so good. Please read it, and also go listen to @thestackspod episode with the author. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Chronic illness, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, Medical content, Grief, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Alcohol, and War

Moderate: Racism

Minor: Rape

koyalites's review

challenging emotional hopeful informative inspiring sad fast-paced

i really said fuck it to my no star rating for non fiction books  rule 

Know My Bones is such a raw and detailed insight on the author’s experience and journey with complex PTSD and the abuse she experienced growing up. i highly recommend the audiobook as it had some recordings from her therapy sessions that were fascinating to listen to, especially due to how the two of them try to close read their conversations and analyse her immediate reactions and thoughts. so many revelations and self reflection came with this reading/listening experience. it helped that her writing is just beautiful, it captured so much of her pain and grief and joy and fear, it validated all of it, it made me feel those things with her.

stephanie foo, being a woman of color also brings about a new set of challenges when trying to navigate not just the world in its fucked state but also her trauma. there were sections that delve into how regular interactions with racism can literally change the shape of your brain cause you’re in a constant state of danger, it talks about inter generational trauma not just on a personal level but scientifically, how it can have a impact on the formation of your children’s brains, etc.
there’s also an interesting deeper dive on asian families and mental health, clearly a lot of research was put into this book to provide a nuanced take on this.

overall, this book was not only educational, it was also incredibly hopeful and relatable. so many of her struggles & fears when approaching relationships & life in general mirrored some of mine as well, and just listening to her journey (and she doesn’t shy away from anything), it just idk it made me sob a lot. highly, highly recommend, i really needed this one. 

”love begets love.”

tw: child abuse, suicide/suicide attempt, racism

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicidal thoughts, and Xenophobia

Moderate: Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt, and Gaslighting

lilcoppertop's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful informative reflective sad fast-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Ableism, Addiction, Alcoholism, Bullying, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racism, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, Grief, Suicide attempt, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Gaslighting, Abandonment, Alcohol, Dysphoria, and Injury/Injury detail

sionnac's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad slow-paced

4.75

This courageous book is a memoir of horrific childhood abuse, the devastating effect it has on the author's life, and her search for recovery. I listened to the audio version. I had to stop at times. Read by the author. Themes of abandonment estrangement and despair, but also determination in the search for healing. She is a great writer and I wish her all the love and recovery.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Physical abuse, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, and Abandonment

The author mentions in the introduction that the first part of the book may be triggering.